8 - FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The fair values and carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments at December 31, 2019 and 2018 which are required to be disclosed at fair value, but not recorded at fair value, are noted below.


	December 31, 2019				December 31, 2018
	Carrying				Carrying
	Value		Fair Value		Value		Fair Value
Cash and cash equivalents	$	155,889	$	155,889	$	197,499	$	197,499
Restricted cash		6,360		6,360		5,262		5,262
Floating rate debt		495,824		495,824		551,420		551,420

The carrying value of the borrowings under the $495 Million Credit Facility and the $108 Million Credit Facility as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 approximate their fair value due to the variable interest nature thereof as each of these credit facilities represent floating rate loans. Refer to Note 7 — Debt for further information regarding the Company’s credit facilities. The $495 Million Credit Facility was utilized to refinance the $400 Million Credit Facility, $98 Million Credit Facility and 2014 Term Loan Facilities on June 5, 2018 and was subsequently amended on February 28, 2019 and November 5, 2019. The carrying amounts of the Company’s other financial instruments at December 31, 2019 and 2018 (principally Due from charterers and Accounts payable and accrued expenses) approximate fair values because of the relatively short maturity of these instruments.

ASC Subtopic 820-10, “Fair Value Measurements & Disclosures” (“ASC 820-10”), applies to all assets and liabilities that are being measured and reported on a fair value basis. This guidance enables the reader of the consolidated financial statements to assess the inputs used to develop those measurements by establishing a hierarchy for ranking the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. The fair value framework requires the categorization of assets and liabilities into three levels based upon the assumptions (inputs) used to price the assets or liabilities. Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3 requires significant management judgment. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1—Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments that the Company is able to access. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these instruments does not entail a significant degree of judgment.

Level 2—Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for instruments that are similar, or quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar instruments, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets.

Level 3—Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are considered Level 1 items as they represent liquid assets with short-term maturities. Floating rate debt is considered to be a Level 2 item as the Company considers the estimate of rates it could obtain for similar debt or based upon transactions amongst third parties. Nonrecurring fair value measurements include vessel impairment assessments completed during the interim period and at year-end as determined based on third party quotes, which are based off of various data points, including comparable sales of similar vessels, which are Level 2 inputs. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the vessel assets for five of the Company’s vessels were written down as part of the impairment recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2018, the vessels assets for ten of the Company’s vessels were written down as part of the impairment recorded during the year ended December 31, 2018. Lastly, during the year ended December 31, 2017, the vessel assets for six of the Company’s vessels were written down as part of the impairment recorded during the year ended December 31, 2017. The vessel held for sale as of December 31, 2019 was written down as part of the impairment recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019. The vessel held for sale as of December 31, 2018 was written down as part of the impairment recorded during the year ended December 31, 2017 and there were no additional adjustments required as of December 31, 2018 when the held for sale criteria was met. Refer to “Impairment of long-lived assets” and “Vessels held for sale” sections in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Nonrecurring fair value measurements also include impairment tests conducted by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2019 of its operating lease right-of use asset. The fair value determination for the operating lease right-of-use asset was based on third party quotes, which is considered a Level 2 input. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the operating lease right-of-use asset was written down as part of the impairment of right-of-use asset recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019. Refer to Note 13 — Leases. The Company did not have any Level 3 financial assets or liabilities during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.